Invalid-bedstead



No. 28,254. PATENTED MAY 15, 1860. A. W. CHASE. INVALID BEDSTEAD.

WI/'fiz esse@ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

A. \V. CHASE, OF ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN.

INVALID-BEDSTEAD.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 28,254, dated May 15, 1860.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, A. IV. CHASE, of Ann Arbor, in the count-y of lVashtenaw and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Invalid-Bedsteads, and especially applicable to James A. Johnsons patent folding bedsteads, yet more or less applicable to all common bedsteads; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the letters and igures marked therein, similar' characters referring to like parts of the, Valso accompanying, model bedstead.

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation in those parts upon which I claim an improvement.

The nature of my invention consists in constructing bedstead posts in such a shape as to admit of false mortises, or mortises open at the upper end to allow the head and foot boards to be taken out and set aside when desired, also to be taken out and placed horizontal for the purposes of a stand for lights or a table of any desired height as hereafter described, and for the purpose also of giving any desired incline to the body of invalids or others resting upon the bed, with but trifling if any addi.- tional expense over the common bedstead.

Figure 1 is a view of bed posts framed ready to be put together.

Fig. 2 shows the end of the bedstead set up ready for use.

Fig. 3 is a side view of a common bedstead with my improvement, showing the various heights of the stand or table arrangement applicable to either end of the bedstead, and also, one board placed on a low grade of incline and the other placed over it with a light and glass of water or other refreshment upon it, during the night or in darkened rooms, allowing a person to read if desired and not have the light shine upon the eye, and to have any thing desired within reach of the convalescing invalid, without the necessity of raising up and reaching to the foot table, as in Sheidlcys improvement, or of turning in bed and reaching to a side stand or table, thus exposing the body to a cold night atmosphere. I speak from the known wants of those who do not consider themselves sufciently sick to require constantly the presence of watch- `the necessary expense.

ers, and those also whose means do not allow Any one or all of these positions, either head or foot board, may be made to assume.

Fig. 4 is a side view of James A. John* sons improved folding bedstead with my improvement applied, thrown into a position at once easy and convenient for invalids and especially for females in confinement, having the foot board entirely removed and showing some of the different grades of incline which the head board admits. Then said Johnsons bedstead is thrown into this position the foot board will bind upon the clothes and feet or give the trouble and inconvenience of lifting the bed entirely over the foot board, which thus takes olf much of the desired incline, hence the advantage of removing itI out of the way for the time being as in my improvement.

In the drawings, A, represents the bedposts, B, side-rails, C, accommodating brace inJohnsons bedstead, D, the point of stay block which rests upon the accommodating brace when the bedstead is in its natural position, E, end rails which are broad to prevent rocking, as the bedstead derives but little support from the head and foot boards being loose, F, head or foot boards as each are alike and either will allow all the various changes for t-hc accommodation of invalids or others occupying the bed, a, hinged center of side rail, I), hinges connecting hinged side rail to the posts, c, hinge att-he center of the accommodating brace, d, hinges connecting the accommodating brace to the center of the end rails, e, slats for supporting the bed, f, false or open mortises, also numbered 1, 2, 3 and 4, which when the spring bolts are drawn back will allow the head or foot board to be lifted and changed or set away as desired. No. 1 is made a little smaller than the others and round at the bottom that the tenon entering it may also enter' Nos. 2, 3 or 4: when the board is inclined, which it would not do unless made entirely round, and that would leave a vacancy for holding dirt or dust in the to of the mortise, g, tenons upon the head an foot board, also numbered 1 and 3. No. 1 is madeto correspond in size and shape with mortise No. 1, all the remaining ones are made square and otherwise alike, 72 broad mortise to receive the tenon of the end rail, which is to be firmly glued and pinned together, z, top and foot of posts which may be turned of any desired shape to suit the fancy of the manufacturer, lc, knob attached by screwing it through a slot mortise into a bolt which is placed in the center of the tenon g3 having a spiral spring behind it, which pushes it forward into a hole bored for the purpose, into the post, corresponding in size and position of the bolt when the head and foot boards are in their natural position, which serve to keep them in place; Z, scrolls on top of head or foot boards which may or may not be used, as desired, fm, portions cut out of the head and foot boards, which also may or may not be used, as desired, o, bands or raised portions of the posts which are all to be of the same size, corresponding with the length of tenon desired upon the head or foot boards which enter the mortises in these bands to the depth shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2, theseV tenons in a full size bedstead ought to be from to l inch in length, leavof an inch for the play of the spring-bolts when adjusting the head or foot board to its place; this portion of the posts look better having a bead turned up on them, the lower edge of which corresponds with the lower edge of the mortise as seen in Fig. 2. The

` upper and lower outer edges of these bands have small cores turned upon them which somewhat relieves their otherwise bold appearance, or they may be pear-shape or oval in the depth of the mortise, thus avoiding the accumulation of dust, e, stem or body of the posts turned of the same size in all its length, corresponding with the width of the head or foot boards which may be beaded or otherwise ornamented in turning, or not as desired. 2, 2 are points having the tenons removed as they bore upon the band below and would not let the bottom of the board come down upon theside rails, or slats when tenon l was placed in mortise 2 for the purpose of giving only a slight incline to the head board. The mortises should be a proper distance apart according to the desired width of the head or foot board, and the tenons will all be retained, when their distance apart takes away this bearing as it relieves the appearance of an empty mortise, prevents the collection of dust and also prevents the board from warping.

I am aware of various inventions being in use for the purposes of giving any grade of incline by raising a portion of the body of the bedstead, and that one is in use which allows the foot board to take the horizontal position at a certain height and at one end of the bedstead only, all of which are acco1nplished by intricate and expensive complica tions of machinery; while the beauty of my invention consists in its simplicity, cheapness, and the great variety of changes of which it is capable of undergoing, allowing v either end to become head or foot, and either side to become front, to suit the most capricious invalid or the convenience of light or dark sides of rooms; then allow me to disclaim all right in any other4 invention with which it may seem to be complicated and simply,

Claim- The peculiar shape or construction of the bed posts, adapting them to the open, or false, mo-rtises, with the head andfoot'boards constructed to correspond thereto in combination with the spring-bolts to keep them in position, or allow any desired change, substantially as, and for, the purposes hereto- :tore set forth.

A. W. CHASE.

R. C. WHITING. 

